Stay to the right with the Lenticular floor pattern

by Mark R

This strange pattern on the floor that you see in the photo is a product of research from people at the Tokyo University of Electro-Communications. The arrangement of the tiles has nothing to do with an art-deco or seventies aesthetic, but it sends a subliminal message.

These lenticular plastic tiles are the same type of technology used in 3D postcards and other glasses-free 3D. These tiles have curved lenses that allow the image to seemingly change, depending on the angle it is being viewed. As a pedestrian walks over it, a striped pattern will shift to the right, assuming that he or she has taken the time to look down.

You might be wondering why someone would design a floor like this. Apparently, people rely on vision to maintain balance while they walk, and so the plan is that people would sub-consciously follow the motion that they are seeing on the lenticular floor and unconsciously drift to the right. This will apparently help out crowds as the user sort of subliminally picks up what direction and where he or she is walking. There is a video after the jump so you can hopefully see what I have attempted to describe.

Yeah, I’m not certain whether or not something like this could reduce crowding, and honestly, I don’t like the idea of anything sending me subliminal messages, no matter how insignificant they are. Then again, I am the type who follows an arrow on a sign like it was the Bible, and some people require more subtle forms of persuasion.